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| Insecurity: Kaduna Announces Relocation of 359 Schools |
During a stakeholder forum and a training event for the newly formed Schools’ Protection Squad, the governor's Chief of Staff, Sani Kila, disclosed these plans.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has declared the intention to move 359 schools from areas deemed high-risk to more secure communities across the state.
Following the March 7 incident where bandits abducted over 250 students from LEA primary school in Kuriga, with 167 released after two weeks due to a military intervention, this decision was made public.
During a stakeholder forum and a training event for the newly formed Schools’ Protection Squad, the governor's Chief of Staff, Sani Kila, disclosed these plans.
As part of the federal government's Safe School Initiative, this move is designed to bolster security for schools, students, and teachers against bandit and terrorist attacks.
Governor Sani, voicing his concerns about the negative effects of non-state actors on socio-economic activities, stressed the vital need to protect the educational sector in Kaduna.
He pointed out the worrying decrease in school attendance, with a drop of over 200,000 primary school students in the 2022/2023 academic year compared to the prior year.
The governor cited the main cause of this decline as the insecurity in regions like Chikun, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru, Giwa, and Igabi, which has led to the amalgamation of schools and increased the number of children not in school.
Governor Sani confirmed, "To guarantee continuous education for kids living in areas affected by conflict and terrorism, we have started combining 359 schools into those in safer areas."
